20 Things You Didn't Know About The Exorcist
16. The Exorcist Was The First Horror Film To Recieve An Oscar Nomination For Best Picture
The Exorcist's impact on the horror genre is legendary. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and went on to win for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing.
Whilst classic films from the 1930s such as the original King Kong, and monster films produced by Hammer Film Productions during the 1950s and '60s were massively successful - none had the same level of impact as The Exorcist.
Studios were excited by The Exorcist's success, sparking huge investment into future horror films and launching franchises to rival it.
Only five other "horror" films have been nominated for best picture after The Exorcist, including Jaws, Get Out, The Sixth Sense, and Black Swan. The only one to ever win Best Picture is The Silence Of The Lambs in 1991.